10/26/09

Sugar Highs & Costume Drama's!

One of the most entertaining and challenging weeks in the Elementary School year, is undoubtedly Halloween week. Although it's fun in many ways, in general it's eyed with some trepidation by faculty. After all you just can't beat 200 little kids on a sugar rush for a challenge!

Friday will really just be a write-off here. What with all the excitement of they're outfits for our Costume Contest, then too much candy thrown in for good measure, it's guaranteed to be 'out there'!

The USA goes in for Halloween in a BIG way, and from my experience more so than the UK. Our school and homes have been decorated for Halloween for most of this month and as we approach the big day, the really OTT decor will be making an appearance.

I went past a home in town last week with ghostly apparitions floating all around it, with more than a week still to go. What really amused me, is for the rest of the year this home is severely neglected and needs more than a few ghosts to make it presentable! It struck me as ironic they'd spend so much money on fleeting decorations and yet won't shell out for a few cans of paint and some much needed maintenance!

In general my decorations are tame; a hanging evil pumpkin wooden thingymajig and a gravestone that lights and makes scary noises when someone approaches it, will go out Thursday. But I am having to put some more effort into my costume for Friday.

Yes as is tradition here, the faculty dress up for Halloween. This year our chosen theme is relatively easy being 'The Fifties', but even that I find strange. When I was growing up in England (it may now be different), your Halloween costume was always something scary not a famous person or something 'normal'. But here it's quite different and we have Princess', Fairies, Superheroes, household items etc! So I have my rolled up jeans, neck scarf, polka dot headband with bow, ballet slippers, button down cardi and pearls at the ready. But I might be true to my roots and come as a dead 'Fifties' girl!

So I will be soaking up 'the madness' this week as the US whips itself into it's usual Halloween frenzy, which all seems slightly surreal to little expat me!

14 comments:

Daryl said...

Maybe those people with the neglected house are Wiccans and decorating for Halloween is .. well .. their thing.

When I was a kid we all dressed as ghosts or witches or gypsies ... and we went from building to building (NYC being a more apartment building city than a private home city) but now kids only trick or treat trawl in their own buldings and during the daylight hours in/out of the shops along Broadway where the shopkeepers always have candy for them.

Expat mum said...

We even have kids who dare come to the door for candy with NO costume at all!
I'm surprised your school is having a competition for the best costume. Isn't that potentially damaging to their self esteems - except for the winner of course!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I love Halloween. The weather is still halfway decent and you don't have to buy anybody anything.

Gaelyn said...

Definatel go as the "dead" 50s girl, and don't forget to take pics.

Gotta' just love all those sugar hyped kids.

It was always so cold on Halloween when I was a kid we ended up covering up our costumes with heavy coats.

Dee/reddirtramblings said...

Truthfully, it's weird to some of us here too. I love the old fashioned costumes, and some years, my kids have gone retro. This year, however, the youngest will be the only one playing dressup, and she's chosen to be a "banana!" Yes, a fruit. Go figure. I'm almost ready for the class parties. Yikes! You take cover too.~~Dee

Kay said...

I remember that Halloween madness well from my teaching days. Thanks for the reminder. I'll go put up my obligatory witch on my ourside door.

Unknown said...

Daryl it's sad kids are no longer safe to t&t wherever. As for the Wiccan theory, I doubt they could spell it (pulls claws in!) lol.

EPM - I KNOW! We get those here too, the nerve.

Yogi - good point!

Gaelyn - that was often the case in England too. You should try 200 kids on a sugar high at once!!

Dee - thanks for demonstrating my point exactly - a Banana LOL!

Kay - yes I bet this brings back memories from all your years.

Anonymous said...

While living in Toronto, I was amazed at how everyone got into the spirit of Halloween. Lots of fun.

Anonymous said...

ToT is getting more popular here in the UK, but I think that's down to retailers looking for customers more than anything. The kids usually dress up in scary costumes, but that's only if your definition of 'scary' includes a black bin bag with a hole for the head.

Good luck with the sugar rush!

karen said...

We don't really do Halloween here. Sounds like fun, and hope you will post a photo of you in your non scary costume??!

Sherri said...

Sarah, enjoy yourself on Halloween and at school on Friday! I can just imagine all those little children on their sugar highs and costume excitement!

Lynn said...

I agree. Halloween costumes should be scary, or at least weird - ghosts, zombies, witches, monsters, etc. I strongly disapprove of all the princesses, cartoon characters and all that other tame, nice stuff.

Pat said...

When I was a high school math teacher, I dreaded Halloween because the kids would hide a stash of candy in their pockets and snack on it all day long. Plus they would wear costumes...leading to lack of interest in focussing on learning math or anything else! I don't decorate for Halloween, even though now it rivals Christmas in popularity!

* TONYA * said...

Well there you go, I didn't even know the UK celebrated Halloween. Australia doesn't really. Occasionally there'll be a Halloween party, but only the thrower of the party decorates and there is certainly no trick or treating. Quite sad really.